For many businesses, it’s highly beneficial to store fuel onsite. When you use large quantities of petrol or diesel, repetitive trips to the garage and standard oil prices are often problematic, and it’s much simpler and cheaper to buy in bulk and store at your workplace.
Unfortunately, this practice comes with some complications. Storing fuel can be dangerous, and as a result there are lots of measures that must be put in place to keep you and your employees safe. These can seem problematical to those new to fuel storage, and that’s why we’ve created this handy guide to help you…
Storage Tanks and Where to Source Them
When you choose to keep fuel onsite, you’ll need somewhere to store it, and oil storage tanks have been made specifically for this purpose. They tend to be stocked by specialist retailers like Commercial Fuel Solutions. These professionals have an in-depth understanding of their field, and as a result they’re well placed to help you make the right decision when you’re considering your options.
Protecting the Environment
One of the main hazards posed by fuel centres around its environmental impact, and it’s important to ensure that your choice of storing it onsite does not have a deleterious impact on the land surrounding you.
Luckily, the right tank will be well placed to take care of this problem for you. The best means of reinforcing its holding capacity is to fit it within a secondary containment known as a bund, and this can be easily sourced from most retailers. It must be capable of holding 110 per cent of the tank’s contents, and should conform to OFTEC standards wherever possible.
Reducing the Risk of Fire
Aside from the danger that fuel leaks pose to the environment, keeping oil onsite also increases the risk of fires or explosions on your premises. Although this is unlikely to originate from the tank itself, it is important to locate the tank with its proximity to potential hazards in mind.
For tanks below 3,500 litres, official guidance suggests that they ought to be sited at least 2 metres away from any buildings or boundaries. However, if this is not possible, it is advised that you erect a fire barrier. This should have a rating of 60 minutes minimum, and must be 900mm higher and wider than both ends of your tank.
For tanks that exceed these measurements, a gap of 6 metres is recommended, and where this is not possible, a fire barrier with a rating of at least 120 minutes must be erected.
Follow this handy guide and keep your business safe today.
